Blog

Almighty God:Bless the public servants in the government of the United States, that they may do their work in a spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice. Help them use their authority to serve faithfully and to promote our common life.Bless us, the citizens of this country that we, in times of conflict, engage one another without hatred or bitterness, that we listen for your voice amid competing claims, and that we work together with mutual forbearance and respect and civility.Bless us, the voters in upcoming elections. Help us elect trustworthy leaders, give us the wisdom to make the right choices for the benefit of our communities, and inspire us to serve all our neighbors. Bless the leaders of our land that we may be at peace among ourselves, and a blessing to other nations of the earth.​Gracious God:Where hearts are fearful and constricted, grant courage and hope. Where anxiety is infectious and widening, grant peace and reassurance. Where impossibilities close every door and window, grant imagination and resistance. Where distrust twists our thinking, grant healing and illumination. All these things we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Let us pray: God of Goodness, you know that the violence in our community is out of control. It is taking our helpless and innocent ones, it is taking our children. And we confess that, beyond the violence in our streets, there is violence in our own hearts. We contribute to a culture of violence whenever we give in to hatred, fear, indifference, and our own self-satisfaction.It seems that we are growing numb to the suffering, the loss, and the indignity done to our sisters and brothers and to our Earth. But in our hearts, and in the heart of the community, help us to value life and beauty over instant satisfaction, and to value sharing over greed. Empower us to acknowledge and affirm our children, our spouses, our neighbors, and seek respectful solutions to our conflicts. Create through us a world where it will be easier to be good.Your Spirit, given to us, is not timid. Therefore, each of us can do something, person by person, family by family, community by community, to realize that we are one—one body, one people, and one earth. By your design, we thrive or we perish together.Holy One, give us the grace of hope. Give us the dedication to goodness and truth as we seek to restore our community to wholeness and life. Enable us in this way, to take back our city and our country from the violence and crippling fear we find in our midst.Trusting that your desire for us is peace, not disaster, we pray this in your name. Amen.​